title: Biopsy using a magnetic capsule endoscope carrying, releasing, and retrieving untethered microgrippers.
abstract: This paper proposes a new wireless biopsy method where a magnetically actuated untethered soft capsule endoscope carries and releases a large number of thermo-sensitive, untethered microgrippers (μ-grippers) at a desired location inside the stomach and retrieves them after they self-fold and grab tissue samples. We describe the working principles and analytical models for the μ-gripper release and retrieval mechanisms, and evaluate the proposed biopsy method in ex vivo experiments. This hierarchical approach combining the advanced navigation skills of centimeter-scaled untethered magnetic capsule endoscopes with highly parallel, autonomous, submillimeter scale tissue sampling μ-grippers offers a multifunctional strategy for gastrointestinal capsule biopsy.
authors.forename: Sehyuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Evin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gultepe
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gracias
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D053705:Capsule Endoscopes; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D008280:Magnetics; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013552:Swine; D013696:Temperature